2 more Metro stations for Okhla

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has decided to construct two more Metro stations in the Okhla industrial area in south Delhi under its phase 3 expansion plans.

The congested industrial suburb is a hub of medium and small-scale industries that houses corporate offices and call centres of several business process outsourcing (BPO) companies and there has been a long-pending demand for a robust public transport system in the area.

The two new stations — Okhla Phase 3 and Okhla Vihar — will come up on the Janakpuri West-Botanical Garden corridor, said a spokesperson of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

While the Okhla Phase 3 station will come up near the Okhla Railway station, just ahead of the Modi Mill flyover, the latter will come up behind the Jamia Nagar police station, a DMRC spokesperson said.

Okhla is divided into three phases. As per a traffic survey conducted by the Delhi Metro, the two upcoming stations will cater to more than 20,000 new commuters, when they open by 2016. The ridership is expected to rise to about 25,000 by 2021.

Presently, Okhla has just one Metro station on the Central Secretariat-Badarpur Metro corridor (violet line). The station is located in Harkesh Nagar area of Okhla’s Phase 2 and registers a footfall of nearly 5,100 passengers every day.

“The Okhla Phase 3 Metro station will be a big boon for the Okhla Industrial Area Phase 3 complex, which houses many industrial units and offices of private companies. There is no Metro connectivity to this area right now. The nearest Metro station is Kalkaji on the violet line,” said Anuj Dayal, chief spokesperson of DMRC.

The tenders for the construction of these Metro stations have been awarded and work has begun.